Cause On Christmas You Can Depend
by arysa13
Summary: Bellamy asks Clarke to help him choose a gift for the girl he likes.
1. Clarke's POV

Sometimes it sucks, being in love with your best friend. Of course, maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Clarke could just _tell_ him she's in love with him, especially if, you know, it turned out he's in love with her too. But she's pretty sure he's not, so she just… pines in silence. It's only ninety per cent pathetic.

Normally it's fine. Not _great,_ but fine. He spends most of his time with her anyway, and if she just squashes any thoughts about wanting to kiss him, she can pretend she doesn't want anything else from him. Then there are other times, like now for instance, that it's complete torture.

Bellamy has asked her to come Christmas shopping with him, because apparently he's crap at it and needs advice. That part is fine. Clarke actually kind of loves Christmas shopping. It's _who_ he's buying a present for that makes it hard. He won't _actually_ tell her the name of the person, but apparently he's looking for something to give the girl he likes. And she knows it's not her, because she was there when he bought her Christmas present.

"I was thinking jewellery," Bellamy tells Clarke, veering towards the jewellery section in the department store they're in. "I want it to be romantic, you know?"

"Yeah," Clarke says. She hasn't exactly been talkative since he told her about his plan.

"Like I said, I'm pretty sure she likes me too, if my sources are correct. So it shouldn't be creepy, right? If I get her something expensive?" Bellamy asks. He looks a little anxious about the whole thing, and Clarke suddenly feels bad that she's been less than helpful so far.

"I think jewellery is a great idea," she tells him. She doesn't wear much jewellery herself, mainly just earrings, but if a guy she liked (Bellamy) bought her jewellery, she wouldn't exactly be upset about it.

"Earrings?" Bellamy suggests hesitantly, his eyes flicking to Clarke's ears.

"How about a watch?" Clarke counters. Okay, so she doesn't want to be _too_ helpful. A watch isn't exactly romantic, and maybe she can't help a little sabotage.

"A watch, Clarke? Really?" Bellamy seems unimpressed.

"Everyone needs a watch," Clarke shrugs.

"Okay, for starters, I'm trying to be romantic, not practical. And besides, you don't wear a watch," Bellamy points out.

"I have a watch though. My dad's watch. And I don't wear it because it gets in the way when I'm painting," she reasons.

"Exactly. Watches are dumb. Everyone just uses their phones anyway," Bellamy says. "So help me pick out some earrings." Clarke sighs and follows him over to a glass cabinet full of earrings on display. She's not really focused on the earrings at all, her eyes scanning over the case but not really looking at any of them. That is until a pair catches her eye.

They aren't particularly flashy, just a simple drop earring with a little star at the end. But they're the kind of earrings that if Bellamy were buying jewellery for _her_ and not some mystery woman, then these would be the ones. They remind her of a night not long after they met. They'd been out with their friends and he'd dragged her outside to watch a meteor shower.

" _Did you make a wish?_ " she'd asked him.

" _I wouldn't even know what to wish for_ ," he'd replied. Clarke wonders if that's still the case. She herself had known in that exact moment what to wish for, and it still hasn't changed.

"You like those?" Bellamy sidles up to her.

"Um," Clarke turns to him. "They're okay," she says. "You can probably find something better."

"I saw your face Clarke, you looked like you wanted to make love to those earrings," Bellamy snorts. Clarke rolls her eyes. Okay, yeah, she likes the earrings. A lot. But she doesn't want Bellamy to buy them for _someone else_.

"They're nice," she says lamely. "But whoever you're giving them to might not have the same taste as me."

"I trust your judgement," Bellamy grins. "If you like them, she'll like them." Clarke makes a noncommittal sound and Bellamy gets the attention of the sales assistant.

Clarke knows she has no right to be mad, but she is anyway. It's not that he's buying earrings for another girl. Well, maybe that's partly it. But it's also that he's buying another girl the earrings _she_ likes, that she wants Bellamy to buy for _her._ And now she's going to have to watch some other woman prance around wearing them, reminding her that his heart belongs to someone else.

The sales assistant tells Bellamy the price, and he doesn't even flinch. Clarke thinks it's way too much for someone he's not even dating.

"I'll take them," Bellamy tells the sales assistant.

"You really like her, huh?" Clarke whispers, a little sadly. Bellamy considers her carefully.

"Yeah," he says finally. "Might even be in love with her."

"Oh," Clarke nods, and she knows she can't be mad anymore. Sad and disappointed. But angry and jealous? She doesn't have that in her, not when his are so soft and his smile so genuine. He looks so _happy_. And that's all she's every really wanted for him. "Good luck," she says, forcing herself to smile.

"Thanks," Bellamy grins back.

* * *

It's tradition for Clarke to have Christmas with her friends on the 23rd, before everyone has to go home to their families, and as much as Clarke loves her mom, she prefers this one. It's at Raven's place this year, and they all get drunk and exchange Secret Santa gifts, and regular gifts, and she's surrounded by people she knows she can truly be herself with. For the most part. She still hasn't gotten around to telling Bellamy how she feels about him, but it's probably a moot point now anyway, considering he's confessing his love to another girl through a pair of earrings Clarke picked out.

It's fun anyway, even knowing all that. She opens Bellamy's present to her and pretends to act surprised at the paintbrushes he got her, and he does the same for the stack of books he picked out for her to buy him. They always buy each other practical presents, things they want but things they also feel they need, that they'll use.

Once presents are out of the way the group eats and talks shit, play a couple drinking games and then watch Love Actually. It's only just midnight when Clarke decides it's time for her to leave and get to bed.

"I'll drive you," Bellamy says.

"Haven't you been drinking?" she points out. Bellamy shakes his head.

"I'm sober," he assures her. Clarke hadn't noticed but she nods, and they say goodbye to their friends and Clarke follows him to his car. There's a comfortable silence on the ride home, and Clarke closes her eyes and leans her head against the car window, sleepy and slightly drunk, but the alcohol is wearing off and she feels content. She opens her eyes when she feels the car stop and turns to Bellamy.

"Thanks," she smiles, unclipping her seatbelt.

"Clarke," he says, licking his lips. She can just make out his features in the dim streetlight.

"Yeah, Bell?"

"I suppose you told everyone about the earrings?" he ventures.

"I told Raven and Monty," she says. She doesn't mention how pathetic and forlorn she sounded when she told them. Bellamy nods.

"Which means everyone knows," Bellamy shakes his head with a grin and Clarke can't help but give a short laugh. No one in their group of friends can keep a secret, not even Monty.

"I assume whoever it is will be hanging out with us soon enough anyway, right?" Clarke sighs. Bellamy doesn't say anything. "Bell?" Clarke prompts.

"Yeah," he says vaguely. "Look—I didn't want to do this with the others around, in case I was wrong," he says, swallowing. "But, uh. I got you something else." Clarke frowns as she watches him pull something out of his jacket pocket and she can't quite comprehend what's happening at first. Maybe it's the alcohol, or maybe it's because everything just feels like a dream at the moment. But then he places a little velvet box in her hand, and her heart stops, and when it starts beating again it's beating at twice the speed. She looks at him, questioning, and he looks so _nervous,_ waiting for her to open it, to say something. So she lifts the lid, and sitting there are the star earrings she picked out. The earrings she picked out for him to give to the girl he likes. The girl he might be in _love_ with.

"These are for me?" she squeaks. Bellamy nods.

"Remember that night I made you come and watch the meteor shower? And you asked me if I made a wish?"

"You said you wouldn't know what to wish for," Clarke says.

"I figured it out now. What I'd wish for." It's as if it suddenly hits her then, what he means, and she feels a rush of emotions. Relief, hope, and a pure giddy joy that brings a huge smile to her face. She almost drops the earrings in her haste to rain kisses on his face, and he laughs as her lips come down on his. Then she remembers what he put her through and she pulls away, frowning at him.

"I can't believe you made me think you wanted somebody else," she huffs. "That's just cruel."

"Come on, you had to know it was you," he says, his voice a little hoarse.

"I didn't know," she tells him, and he has the decency to look a little sheepish.

"Then I'm sorry," he apologises. "I wanted it to be romantic," he shrugs, and Clarke knows she can't stay mad.

"You giant dork," she grins. She looks back down at the earrings. "I'm going to wear these forever."

"Clarke?"

"Yeah?" she says absently as she removes the earrings she's already wearing to replace them with the ones Bellamy got her.

"I love you, you know?"

"I know," Clarke laughs. "And everyone else will too once they see me wearing these." She finishes putting them on and turns to him. "How do I look?"

"Beautiful," he tells her and she leans over to kiss him again.

"I love you too," she whispers against his mouth. "Merry Christmas, Bell."

"Merry Christmas, Clarke."


	2. Bellamy's POV

**Bellamy's POV for the same story!**

* * *

Bellamy asks Raven first to help him pick out a Christmas present for Clarke. Not the paintbrushes Clarke had told him she wanted and then went with him to buy them to make sure he bought the right ones, but the other present. The special one, to let her know how he feels about her. He's been in love with her so long, he wants it to be romantic, so he can't simply _tell_ her. He has to give her a… gesture.

Raven was the one who managed to convince him that Clarke likes him too, but he only ended up actually believing her because Raven secretly recorded a conversation with Clarke in which Clarke more or less stated the fact. So he's pretty sure. But he could be wrong. He still doesn't _quite_ believe it.

But it turns out Raven is shit at picking out romantic presents. First she suggests a remote control plane, and then she suggests a dog.

"Clarke isn't allowed to have pets in her apartment," Bellamy reminds her. Plus, getting someone a dog is more of a dating-for-a-while present than an I'm-in-love-with-you-please be-in-love-with-me-too present.

"The plane then," Raven shrugs, and Bellamy rolls his eyes.

"Please remember this is for Clarke, not for you," he sighs. Raven scowls.

"Well, I want the plane, so that can be my Christmas present," she tells him.

"You are literally no help at all," Bellamy shakes his head.

"Why don't you just get Clarke to pick it out," Raven suggests, picking up a remote control car and studying it.

"But then it won't be a surprise," Bellamy points out. The surprise part is very important. It's not romantic if it isn't a surprise.

"So don't tell her it's for her," Raven says as if it's obvious. "Just say you need help picking a present for a girl and that you value her opinion."

"She's gonna know it's her," Bellamy says dryly.

"Probably," Raven snorts. "I don't know how she hasn't figured it out already, you're so fucking obvious with your ridiculous heart eyes."

"I don't have ridiculous heart eyes," Bellamy says defensively.

"You do," Raven smirks. "So what if she knows? She'll think it's cute that you're going to all the effort. She'll play along and act surprised when you give her the gift," she shrugs. And when she puts it that way it actually does sound kind of nice. So he decides that's what he's going to do.

He decides on jewellery, even though he knows Clarke doesn't wear that much jewellery, but she does wear earrings and she has a nice collection of them. Plus you can't really mistake jewellery for a platonic present, right?

"I need your help picking out a present for someone," he tells her, showing up at her apartment unannounced on a Saturday morning. She's still in her pyjamas, but she doesn't look unhappy to see him.

"Christmas shopping?" she sounds excited and Bellamy smirks. He'd really like to kiss her about now. Maybe in a few weeks he'll be able to do that.

"Christmas shopping," he affirms.

"Okay, let me go and get dressed," she hurries off to put clothes on and comes back all rugged up and ready to go. Bellamy resists the urge to tell her how cute she looks.

"Who are you buying a present for?" Clarke asks, once they're on their way. Bellamy gives her a sidelong glance.

"A girl," he says. "Someone I like," he says vaguely.

"A girl you like?" Clarke asks, and Bellamy wonders if she's guessed already.

"Yeah," he nods. He glances at her again, but she's not looking at him and he can't read her expression. "I think she might like me too. So I want to get her something to let her know I like her."

"Oh," is all Clarke says, and Bellamy is pretty sure she's figured out it's her, but has decided to play along. Otherwise she'd be asking who it was, right? There would be a million questions. So she knows. That's okay. Good even. She knows it's her and she's not telling him he shouldn't do it, so that's a good sign.

"What do you think I should get her?" he asks. Clarke shrugs. "It has to be romantic."

"Of course," she says, but she doesn't offer any suggestions. Maybe she's testing him.

They reach a department store and Bellamy immediately leads Clarke to the jewellery section. She seems to like the idea of jewellery, and Bellamy is glad he went with his gut instinct.

"Earrings?" he suggests. He looks at the earrings Clarke is wearing right now, little round pearls. He's pretty sure she notices, so if it wasn't obvious already that he's shopping for her, then it certainly is now.

"How about a watch?" Clarke counters, much to Bellamy's surprise. Surely she really is testing him. Watches so aren't romantic.

"A watch, Clarke? Really?"

"Everyone needs a watch," Clarke shrugs. She has to be joking.

"Okay, for starters, I'm trying to be romantic, not practical. And besides, you don't wear a watch," Bellamy points out, knowing she won't wear a watch because it gets in the way while she's painting. And yeah, he pretty much just told her the present is for her. But Raven was right, and Clarke pretends not to notice.

"I have a watch though. My dad's watch. And I don't wear it because it gets in the way when I'm painting," she confirms.

"Exactly. Watches are dumb. Everyone just uses their phones anyway," Bellamy says. "So help me pick out some earrings." He wanders over to a cabinet full of earrings, and he's very glad he has Clarke with him, because it's kind of overwhelming. He glances over at her and sees her staring at a pair, her eyes bright. Those are the ones then. He sidles up to her and follows her gaze down to the pair she's looking at. Little stars, almost like shooting stars. He glances at her again, and she looks lost in thought.

"You like those?" he asks, expecting her to tell him yes. But to his surprise she tries to brush him off, telling him he can find something better. Maybe she's worried about the price. But he doesn't really care about the price. Nothing is too much for Clarke.

She tries to act like the person he's buying them for isn't her, suggesting they might have different tastes, and it's cute, and he's glad she's playing along, because that makes it easier.

He buys the earrings and turns back to Clarke, grinning. To his surprise she almost looks… sad? Maybe she really doesn't like the earrings.

"You really like her, huh?" she says softly, and Bellamy considers her. Does she think this is just some stupid crush, where he gives her an expensive present so he can sleep with her and then pretend it never happened?

"Yeah," he says, serious. "Might even be in love with her." And maybe it's too much, because Clarke looks like she's definitely processing. But then she smiles and Bellamy grins back in relief.

"Good luck," she says, and Bellamy feels like they're sharing a private joke.

"Thanks."

* * *

He's going to give them to her at the Christmas party, or at least that's the plan. But then he can't find the right time to pull her aside. He knows Raven already knows, but he doesn't know who else Clarke might have told, and he doesn't want to do it in front of everyone. It should be a private moment. Besides, what if he's been wrong all this time and Clarke doesn't actually like him back? It would be embarrassing and ruin the whole night. So he just enjoys himself and gives her the paintbrushes, and tries to tell her with his eyes that he'll give her the other gift later.

As the night progresses he just gets more and more nervous. It's one thing in theory to tell her he's in love with her, but actually doing it is a whole different kettle of fish. By the time he offers to drive her home he's pretty much convinced himself it's all in his head and that she doesn't like him at all.

He's got to do it though. Otherwise she'll think he likes someone else, and he doesn't want _that_. So under the streetlight in his car outside Clarke's apartment building, his heart in his throat he pulls out the earrings and presents them to her. She stares at the box for a moment like she can't quite comprehend what's happening. She opens the box and Bellamy waits anxiously for her to say something.

"These are for _me_?" she asks. Is she actually _surprised_? She was there. She knew. She was just playing along. He thinks. He's pretty sure. But he has a whole thing he wants to say, so he brushes off her surprise. Maybe she's just drunk.

"Remember that night I made you come and watch the meteor shower? And you asked me if I made a wish?"

"You said you wouldn't know what to wish for," Clarke says, glancing at him.

"I figured it out now. What I'd wish for." _You_. But he doesn't need to say it. And then she's smiling, _beaming,_ and kissing him, and it's everything he could have hoped for and he doesn't ever want to stop. But she pulls away suddenly and Bellamy opens his eyes in confusion. She's frowning, and suddenly he feels like he's done something wrong.

"I can't believe you made me think you wanted somebody else," she huffs. "That's just cruel."

"Come on, you had to know it was you," he says nervously. He had been _sure_ she knew.

"I didn't know," she says, and he feels like a complete jerk. He's tried to be romantic and instead he'd hurt her. Of course that's something he would do. Classic Bellamy.

"Then I'm sorry," he apologises. "I wanted it to be romantic," he shrugs, looking down. He can't believe he fucked up so badly. But then she's calling him a dork affectionately and telling him she's going to wear the earrings forever, and he's pretty sure he's forgiven. He watches her as she changes her earrings to the new ones, and he feels a sudden rush of affection for her.

"Clarke?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you, you know?" he says, swallowing. He has to make sure she knows. But she knows, she knows. And she tells him she loves him too, and she kisses him some more and honestly it's the best Christmas he's ever had. But he's pretty sure they're only going to get better from now on.


End file.
